Baltimore was the capitol of lacrosse Sunday, with some of the top players in the country on one field at Towson University.
The first-ever Under Armour Lacrosse Classic kicked off on a sweltering summer day at Unitas Stadium with a Baltimore-D.C. underclassmen girls game.
Baltimore?s underclassmen did not pull any punches with the D.C. stars, as Baltimore won, 12-7, in the day?s opening game.
“This is a smart move for lacrosse,” said Brooke Kuhl McClelland, the head coach for the Baltimore Underclassmen girls. “We need something like this. We have a national tournament and a couple small-club venues, but this is going to start pulling everyone from around the country in.”
Kelly Austin, an Alexandria, Va. resident and sophomore at St. Stephens and St. Agnes, enjoyed the chance to showcase her skills. “I thought it was a really big opportunity,” Austin said. “I think we played well, but we could have played better.” Austin had a goal in the game for D.C.
“It is an avenue for the girls to have another outlet to show their talents, especially when you think about Maryland being a big state for lacrosse,” McClelland said. “I think what Under Armour and Corrigan sports are doing is a huge challenge, and I think they are going to be very successful.”
McClelland is also the head coach of the Mt. Hebron girls lacrosse team, the 2006 Class 3A-2A state champion. The Baltimore Underclassmen featured seven players from Mt. Hebron and a total of 13 girls that play in Howard County.
The Howard County representatives also dominated the Baltimore offense, with only one of the Baltimore?s goals coming from a non-Howard County player.
Jacqueline Giles, a sophomore from Mt. Hebron, scored three goals and had one assist and was named the Baltimore MVP. “It really isn?t a surprise because she plays well wherever she goes,” McClelland said of Giles.
“I did not expect it at all. I did not even know they were doing an MVP,” Giles said.
